Bernier gets the call vs. Columbus

After yesterday’s morning skate, before the game against Detroit, Terry Murray declared his intention to “keep going, as we get into this trip, with both goaltenders playing,” and Murray stayed true to his word. Jonathan Quick turned in an outstanding 28-save effort last night in the victory over Detroit, but Murray said today that Jonathan Bernier will start tomorrow night at Columbus. It’s part of Murray’s current plan to give work to both goalies before riding one during the stretch run…

MURRAY: “I understand that it’s important to get to a time and a place where you make a decision, that one plays more than the other, and get yourself ready to go beyond that. … That was my plan coming in. Plan your work and work your plan, that kind of thing. Both have played well. So I’m going to go with Bernier tomorrow, and then make a decision over the next few days as to how it goes from there.”

After last night’s game, Murray was asked by a national hockey writer about the relationship between Quick and Bernier, and the fine line between support and competition. Today, Murray elaborated a bit when asked about the support the goalies show for each other on a daily basis…

MURRAY: “There are lots of subtleties that go on. You read their body language, their eye contact, how they tap each other when they move in and out of the net when do drills at one end. These guys get along well. They’re friends, they work hard for the team. Both want to be `the guy,’ absolutely. That’s going to be the catalyst that will push them throughout their whole careers. They want to take over the net and be a Stanley Cup winner, each one of them. That’s a good thing. But as you go through it, in the game today, with the way scheduling is, it’s two weeks shorter now. They took it out during the Olympics and never put it back in. So it’s a lot more hectic, and you need two guys going. It’s the only way you can be successful in this game, is to have that kind of tandem working for you.”